“The Argyle board will be keen” – Plymouth Argyle: Claim made on Steven Schumacher return

“The Argyle board will be keen” – Plymouth Argyle: Claim made on Steven Schumacher return

A reunion between Plymouth Argyle and former manager Steven Schumacher has been suggested in the wake of Wayne Rooney’s unsurprising departure, as he was freed of his duties at the end of last month.

After firing head coach Rooney on New Year’s Eve, the Pilgrims are now looking for their fourth permanent managerial hiring in less than a year.

It was not surprise, of course, that Rooney was given his marching orders, as many fans believed the club ought to have done it sooner. Following a nine-game losing streak, which was exacerbated by Plymouth’s relegation-threatened 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Oxford United in his final game as manager, Rooney was jeered by the travelling fans and left the team in last place in the Championship standings.

Plymouth’s away record under Rooney was especially concerning because they frequently lost badly away from home, six of the losses being by three goals or more.

They’re currently four points shy of 21st-placed Portsmouth, who have a game in hand, meaning Argyle run the risk of finding themselves cut adrift before long and may need to source a replacement for Rooney sooner rather than later.

A popular candidate, then, would surely be ex-boss Schumacher, who has been out of work since September after being contentiously sacked by Championship rivals Stoke City.

According to a recent report in the Telegraph, Schumacher is in contention for the job alongside Ryan Lowe and it will certainly be interesting to see just how that plays out in the coming weeks.

Steven Schumacher’s Plymouth Argyle career

After Lowe, his assistant, left to join Preston North End in December 2021, Schumacher took over the Home Park dugout for two years, and he proved to be a huge hit during that time.

Schumacher’s first season saw Plymouth lose out on the League One play-offs by just three points, but the following year, his first full season as manager, they easily won the third-tier title.

As Southampton concluded the season with 101 points, defeating Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town for the championship, Schumacher, who was awarded League One Manager of the Year, led the team back to the Championship for the first time in over ten years.

Although the results were not always favourable, Schumacher’s fast-paced, attacking style of football was a major factor in the large number of followers who soon came on board with him. That was also true in the Championship, where Plymouth, despite having their heads above water under Schumacher, was always going to suffer a little.

The Liverpudlian had Argyle 16th in the division when he left for Stoke in December of last year, and while that decision eventually backfired for him, his return to Plymouth would be hugely welcomed.

Plymouth Argyle encouraged to reunite with Steven Schumacher following Wayne Rooney exit

We asked our resident Argyle fan pundit Chris to name a first-choice, yet realistic candidate to replace Rooney, and he duly went with Schumacher.

“This is news that we were expecting to happen in the coming weeks,” Chris explained to Football League World.

To provide the club the chance to add new players and management, it is crucial that it took place prior to the January transfer window. This will hopefully improve our position at the end of the season.

Steven Schumacher is the name that I think a lot of Argyle supporters will be saying, even if there are already a number of names circulating now that the news has out.

He is available as a manager or first-team coach, having just left Stoke City. In addition to having excellent connections with the city, he has managed both Stoke and us at the Championship level and knows many of the players and staff who are still at Argyle.

In addition to the chance to rediscover his passion for the club, his family is thought to still reside in the region. I think a lot of Argyle supporters and some of the employees who once worked with him will be excited to see him back in the dugout.

“This is something I believe the Argyle board will be keen to look at, based upon the fact they were very sad to see Schumacher go and also his experience with the club and how it runs.”

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